The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it is tapping the services of the Internet to enhance the leadership and managerial skills of its frontline commanders.

Director General Jesus Verzosa, PNP chief, yesterday said it will be the first time in the history of the police organization that their personnel will go online to study, with a total of 259 provincial, town and city police chiefs nationwide forming the initial batch of “techie” (technology) cops.

The 259 police commanders underwent orientation at the PNP Training Service in eight groups last August 12, 14, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 and this morning, September 21.

“The objective of the online course is to upgrade the leadership and management capabilities of PNP field commanders through a series of lectures, exercises and case studies applying relevant theories and principles of leadership and management into PNP operational needs,” said Verzosa.

“This is the first activity of its kind in the Philippine National Police so I urge the senior officers undergoing the course to actively participate in the program as this will not only benefit them personally but it will also help improve the quality of police services to the people,” he added.

Verzosa said the course consists of one-day training on the Integrated Transformation Program (ITP), a seven-day financial planning seminar, basic communication training, and orientation on laws, human rights provisions, and election laws.

The program was designed by the PNP Training Service personnel with the assistance of senior professors from De la Salle University Graduate School who prepared the program of instruction and course content and of the University of the Philippines, which applied its expertise on online education through its Open University, in partnership with the Tech Advantage Corporation.

Dr. Enrico Velasco, head of Tech Advantage Corporation, said the focuses on providing police officers training on the use of the Internet for “professional and personal development. "

Dr. Benjie Espiritu of the DLSU Graduate School, on the other hand, revealed that the training will be an 80-day online course using an online chat software and webcam to facilitate the lectures.

“Online training has become the ‘norm’ in other police organizations in the United States and Europe. It opens a world of possibilities. It gives a chance to learn and to access information quickly. We can go beyond our respective areas of jurisdiction and find out best practices in other areas,” said Espiritu.

Senior Supt. Charles Calima, head of the PNP Training Service, said the entire program will run for a period of three months with a credit of 160 training hours for provincial directors and 140 training hours for chiefs of police.

“This is the future of PNP training when the skills of our policemen are enhanced without them leaving their assignments,” he said.

Calima said the course will end with participants producing an integrated public safety plan to be submitted to their local peace and order council. The public safety plan should consist of all the information obtained in the lectures.

A face-to-face interview will also be given to determine what police officers have learned during the course, he stressed.

“This assures the successful transfer of knowledge from instructor to student. We can only claim that we have successfully transferred skills and knowledge if, after stepping out of the portals of the training service, the student goes back to his unit and starts to perform duties related to his course. With this online course, as an officer is taught new knowledge, he immediately applies it to his work. The module is designed purposely for that,” Calima explained to reporters.

“The online program also works well for the community since the police to population ratio is not affected. The policeman undergoing online training is not pulled out from his place of work. He continues to serve in his place of assignment even as he undergoes schooling,” he added.